Lord Love You
by palephoenix
Summary: PoA timeline The aftermath of the loss to Hufflepuff: The keeper is drowning himself in the locker room... what's a chaser to do?


Title: Lord Love You (1/1)

Author: palephoenix

Genre: Harry Potter FP-Het

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Not for profit, purely for entertainment purposes. The characters belong to JK Rowling and the actors belong to themselves. I'm just borrowing them. I don't know the actors; if I did would I be writing this??? ;)

Feedback: pretty please with Sean Biggerstaff/James McAvoy/your choice on top???

AN: I know that Katie is actually only a year ahead of Harry, and thus in 4th year in Oliver's 7th, but for my purposes, she's going to be the same age as him. This is my first foray into the HP fandom. I've had one scene in my head for some time and had to write it out. This has only been edited by me, so please forgive any errors I've missed.

Summary: (set in PoA) The aftermath of the loss to Hufflepuff: The keeper is drowning himself in the locker room... what's a chaser to do?

"Lord love you, Wood," one Weasley twin (she could never tell which one) began, as the Gryffindor team listened to their captain's pre-practice spiel.

"'Cause no one else will!" the second twin piped up, finishing the sentence.

Katie frowned as the most of the team chuckled, or laughed outright in the twins' case. She had giggled a little, along with Angelina and Alicia when the twins had started doing their 'Lord love you' bit at practices.

That is until this year, her 7th, when she had happened to look at Oliver Wood while the team reacted to the joke. There was a deep frown on the handsome keeper's face, and hurt glinted in his chocolate brown eyes. With a start she realized that, although it had been meant as a joke, the twins' quip had truly upset him. She hadn't laughed since that first practice of the new year. Instead she watched her keeper's face, and grew more and more concerned when the same hurt look appeared on his face each time. In the past she might have brushed it off as Oliver being annoyed that the twins hadn't taken his pep talks to heart, but something had changed.

Katie had always liked Oliver Wood, since the night when he'd plunked down beside her at the dinner table, another first year just sorted into Gryffindor, and gave her a heart-melting smile. Oliver Wood had been a cute little boy, and had become a very handsome young man, tall and strong, with dark brown hair and eyes like melted chocolate. Not to mention a deep Scottish brogue that, around the middle of 5th year, had begun make Katie's knees weak. Yes, she had developed a very large crush on her captain.

All his physical attributes were coupled with a dedication that was an asset not only on the Quidditch pitch, but also held him up academically where, though not among the top students, he was still above average.

Yes, Katie sighed inwardly, Oliver Wood was a rare and wonderful man, and she was falling hopelessly in love with him.

*****

The first Quidditch match of the season was approaching. The Gryffindor team was set to play their arch-rivals, Slytherin. Oliver was setting a gruelling practice schedule, determined that this year, his last at Hogwarts, his team would take the cup from the perennial winners in Slytherin house.

"This is our last chance - my last chance- to win the Quidditch cup. I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it," Oliver reminded his team.

­The weather was horrendous in the weeks leading up to the first match of the season, the skies iron-grey with clouds. The incessant rain pounding down did nothing to dampen Oliver's zeal for training his team.

The first Hogsmeade weekend fell on Halloween that year, giving the majority of the student body at Hogwarts even more reason to celebrate. Students in third year and up arrived at the feast full of the sights of Hogsmeade and Honeydukes' chocolate. After the feast the students headed back to their common rooms, full to bursting with Halloween treats.

Katie found herself strolling toward Gryffindor tower with Oliver beside her. They walked together in companionable silence until they found themselves at the back of a crowd of students near the entrance to the tower.

"What's going on? Why is no one going in?" Katie frowned, not tall enough to see over the heads of the other students to the door to the Gryffindor tower. "Can you see what's going on, Ol?"

Before Oliver could answer her the sound of Percy Weasley's voice calling for someone to find the Headmaster pierced through the mass of confused students. Things happened in a flurry then, and the next thing Katie knew the whole of Gryffindor house was back in the Great Hall and they were quickly joined by the students from the other three houses for an impromptu sleepover while the teachers combed the school for any sign of Sirius Black.

Before leaving the hall to the charge of the Head Boy and Girl, Dumbledore conjured dozen and dozens of soft, poofy purple sleeping bags for the students. Katie looked around while students milled around, taking up sleeping bags and breaking off into groups.

"Katie," Oliver's voice broke into her thoughts. She looked in his direction and saw him seated on a sleeping bag close by the Weasley twins, Angelina and Alicia. When she caught his eye he patted an empty sleeping bag beside him. Katie smiled and started toward him.

This would probably be the closest she'd get to spending the night with Oliver, Katie mused to herself as she sank down on the soft purple cushion next to Oliver.

"Quite the eventful evening, huh?" Oliver said quietly as Katie settled herself in her sleeping bag.

Katie fought to ignore the thrill in her stomach that Oliver's deep Scottish burr always caused and managed to answer him.

"It's a little scary. I mean, we knew that Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban but him actually getting inside the school?" she whispered, not wanting to catch the attention of Percy Weasley, the Head Boy, who was walking nearby.

"I know," Oliver kept his voice low, too, "But you know, Katie, I wouldn't let anything happen to you." He reached over and clasped her small hand in his large, callused one.

"Thanks, Ol," Katie smiled, "That means a lot to me. Good night."

"Goodnight, Katie."

*****

At the Gryffindor team's last practice session before their Saturday match, they were met with an unpleasant surprise. They would not be playing their first match against the expected Slytherin house, but against Hufflepuff.

"Flint's excuse is that their seeker's arm's still injured," Oliver informed his team. "But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances..."

"There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!" Harry fumed, cold fury in his green eyes. "He's faking it! His arm is no more injured than mine!"

"Hufflepuff is a completely different team! Different players, different strategies," Oliver put his two cents in. "And they have a new seeker, Diggory, who is actually a decent player."

Katie inwardly rolled her eyes as Angelina and Alicia proceeded to go into Cedric Diggory's physical attributes. "Settle down, you guys. We may be playing a different team, but I don't see any reason why we can't still win this one. The conditions are awful out there and Hufflepuff will have to fly in them, too."

"Katie's right," Oliver agreed, "We've trained hard and we have as good a chance as any to win this game. So let's be positive and play our hearts out."

After the rest of the team had left the change room Katie sat down next to Oliver on the bench.

"You okay, Oliver?" she asked softly.

"Aye," he replied, giving her a weak smile. "I'm just frustrated, Kates."

"I know you are, Oliver, but it's going to be fine. We're a great team and having to play Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin isn't going to change that." Katie slipped her arm around his waist and gave him a gentle squeeze.

"You're amazing, you know that, Kates," Oliver laid his arm around her shoulders and drew her close, and brushed his lips over her forehead. "I don't know what I'd do without you around to keep me sane."

"The feeling's mutual, Ollie," Katie pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, then drew away and stood up. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up from the bench. "Come on, Oliver, it's getting late and my bed is calling my name."

Oliver grinned and followed her out of the change rooms and back to Gryffindor tower, his hand still in hers.

*****

The conditions on Saturday were indeed awful, with rain pounding down and huge gusts of wind blowing through the Quidditch pitch. The match went on through it all, with the Gryffindor team up 50 points when Oliver called for a time out.

"I can't see a thing, Wood," Harry told Oliver, gesturing to his glasses. The lenses were completely coated with raindrops.

Just then Hermione appeared out of the mist of rain drops and took Harry's glasses from him. "_Impervius_! There, now they'll repel water." Then she disappeared back into the rain, leaving a grateful Quidditch team to stare after her.

The time out over, the game continued, both teams fighting through the storm. Harry had seen the snitch and had made after it, racing to catch it before Cedric Diggory. Katie was watching anxiously when the cold air around her suddenly went absolutely frigid. She watched in horror as Harry slipped from his broom and tumbled through the open air.

Dumbledore suddenly appeared on the pitch and Harry's fall slowed in the moments before he hit the muddy ground. The headmaster then whirled on the Dementors that had come into the stadium and the hooded figures fled as wisps of silvery stuff spewed from Dumbledore's wand.

*****

The Gryffindor team, minus its captain, still covered in the mud and rain from the match, were gathered around Harry's bed in the hospital wing when the dark-haired boy woke. The team reluctantly told Harry what had happened after his fall: the Hufflepuff seeker had caught the snitch and Gryffindor had lost by 100 points.

When Harry wondered at the absence of their captain, Fred answered him, and mused that he and George thought he was trying to drown himself in the locker room showers.

Obviously upset about losing the match, Harry sat silently while the Weasley twins went over the events that would have to occur for their team to have a chance at the finals. Finally Madam Pomfrey decided that Harry needed some peace and quiet and she insisted the team leave, though she did allow Ron and Hermione to stay.

"This is ridiculous," Katie exclaimed as the Gryffindor team filed out of the hospital wing. "I'm going to change then I'm going to check on Oliver, and give him a piece of my mind."

"Okay, Katie," Angelina replied, and watched with Alicia and the twins as the pretty chaser strode down the hallway that was the fastest way out to the Gryffindor tower to get rid of her wet clothing.

"Wood's going to get the verbal ass-kicking of his life," George remarked. The rest of the team just nodded.

*****

Katie covered the distance to the change room faster than she ever had before, her strawberry-blonde hair streaming behind her. She was furious with Oliver for not joining the rest of the team in the hospital to find out how badly Harry had been hurt. But the same time, worry hovered at the fringes of her mind. It was odd that Oliver hadn't come to the hospital wing; he had every other time Harry had been injured in a match.

She could hear the pattering spray of the showers as she entered the change room. Oliver's bag of extra gear still lay on the bench in front of his locker, his broom carelessly tossed on the floor.

Katie cautiously peeked around the wall that closed off the boys' showers, in case Oliver wasn't decent. She gasped when she saw him, still in his full gear, seated on the tile, under the spray of what was undoubtedly ice-cold water. "Oliver! My god, what are you doing?"

She dashed across the wet tile and immediately spun the hot water faucet. The water warmed considerably in the next minute, but she whipped out her wand and cast a strong warming charm on the keeper's soaked robes as well.

"Ollie, what were you thinking? You're going to catch your death!" she scolded him, while anxiously laying a hand against his cheek to gauge his body temperature, not caring about the water that was drenching her jeans and hoodie.

He looked up at her touch, seeming to notice her for the first time. His lips were tinged with blue, and shivers were beginning to wrack his strong frame, a tell-tale sign that he was warming up. "Katie?"

"Oliver, why did you do that?" She asked gently, fighting back the tears that stung at her eyes.

"We lost the match," he spoke sluggishly, "And Harry... How is Harry?" His voice turned urgent.

"Harry is going to be fine, although his broom won't be. The wind blew it into the Whomping Willow. What's left looks more like toothpicks than a broom," She told him sadly. "Brooms can be replaced, though, Harry couldn't be. And neither can you, for that matter."

The corner of Oliver's mouth quirked in a tiny smile.

"Now, Captain Ollie, you have got to get out of those wet things. Or you're going to end up with pneumonia, and a sore backside 'cause I'll kick your arse into next year," Katie stood and held her hand out to him. Obediently, Oliver took the offered hand, and drew himself up to his full height.

"Okay?" she asked, wanting to be sure he wouldn't now take a fall.

"Aye," he nodded, and allowed her to lead him over to the benches between the rows of lockers. He sat down with a heavy sigh, but made no moves to remove his drenched clothing.

Katie rolled her eyes, and set about undoing the fastenings of his scarlet Quidditch robes. She felt almost as though she were caring for a child, with Oliver too subdued to do much more than raise an arm when required. One by one his wet things were laid over the end of the bench. He stood up when she asked, and waited, having the presence to blush slightly, as she, her cheeks pink, carefully peeled his trousers down his legs, while trying to look anywhere but at his tight, muscled stomach. He sat when bidden, watching her go to his locker and remove clean, dry clothes: boxers, jeans, t-shirt, socks and a warm, black sweater.

"You have two minutes to get your dry drawers on, Ollie, before I come back in here and do it for you," she warned, a glint of amusement in her blue-green eyes, before stepping out of the locker room.

Katie leaned against the wall outside the Gryffindor locker room and sighed. Her original anger at Oliver for not coming to the Hospital ward with the team had given way to shock and anxiety, which thankfully was fading quickly, but left in its wake the fluttery feeling in her stomach as hundreds of butterflies took flight. She knew there was no way she could continue hiding her feelings for her captain any longer. The feelings had grown too strong to be ignored or denied. Somehow she would have to summon up the courage to tell Oliver how she felt.

She glanced at her watch; time to finish getting him dressed and back to the dorms. "I hope you're decent, Oliver, because I'm coming back in," she called, and re-entered the locker room.

With not a small amount of relief, she found Oliver having changed not only into dry underclothes, but into his jeans as well.

"Kates," he gave her a small smile, sat down and started pulling on his socks.

"Are you feeling better, Ollie?" she asked gently, taking a seat next to him. Her blue-green eyes were filled with concern, and for the first time he noticed the large damp spots on her jeans and baby-blue hoodie, tell-tale of her being well under the shower's spray with him. She grabbed a towel and ran it over his dark hair, collecting some of the water that clung to it.

"Aye."

"Don't ever do something like that to me again, okay?" Katie told him, a little more sharply than she'd intended, laying the towel over his shoulders, as the tears she'd held back threatened to break free.

"I won't," he promised quietly, keeping his eyes on the floor.

"Oh, Oliver," Katie sighed, and wrapped her arms around him, cradling his head against her breast. He enfolded her in his arms and buried his face in the soft fabric of her hoodie, breathing in the fresh scent that was purely Katie.

"Lord love you, Oliver Wood," She sighed, and ran her hand through his damp hair.

"'Cause no one else will?" He finished dully, pulling away slightly and looking up at her, his eyes oddly blank and rather hollow.

"No," She placed a finger against his lips. "Lord love you Oliver, and so do I."

"Katie..." His chocolate eyes widened, glinting with something she couldn't define.

"Shh," She whispered and brushed her lips over his in a feather-soft kiss. His lips were soft and warm, and a tiny spark shot down her spine as he began to respond, a sigh escaping him as he deepened the contact.

Oliver's soft sigh quickly became a low groan as something inside him snapped. In an instant Katie was drawn onto his lap, and enveloped in his strong arms, his lips on hers tender, but firm, his hands caressing her back and tangling in the softness of her strawberry-blonde waves. Her hand slipped over his shoulder, sliding along the soft skin covering the strong, defined muscles of his back. One large hand stoked down her back, resting a moment at her waist before slipping under her shirt to caress the bare skin of her back.

Katie pulled away a little, her breath coming in soft gasps, her heart beating a rapid rhythm under her breast bone. "Oliver, I..."

"Katie," he whispered, gazing at the slender woman in his arms. Her eyes were wide pools of blue-green, her hair tousled, and her lips red and slightly swollen from his kiss. Oliver thought he'd never seen anything more beautiful in his life. "How long?"

"Two years," she breathed, "I've known for two years, but I think it started the first day. Right after sorting, you smiled at me, and I think you had my heart from that moment on."

Oliver's face split into a blinding smile, his eyes filled with more joy than they ever were winning a Quidditch match. "You were the cutest thing I'd ever seen in my life that day," he mused, his brogue strong with emotion. "Lord love _you_, Katie Bell. And so do I."

At that he bent his head and caught her lips in a soft, sweetly tender kiss that spoke more than words ever could.


End file.
